‘Shameful’ and ‘terrible look’ – the chaos that marred Senegal’s Afcon triumph

Senegal beat Morocco to win the Africa Cup of Nations for a second time – but only after the final was overshadowed when they temporarily refused to play after the hosts were awarded a stoppage-time penalty with the match goalless.

Referee Jean Jacques Ndala gave the spot-kick in the 98th minute after being advised by the video assistant referee (VAR) to consult the pitchside monitor and review defender El Hadji Malick Diouf’s challenge on Brahim Diaz.

Amid sensational scenes, head coach Pape Thiaw, still incensed by Ndala’s decision moments earlier to disallow a Senegal goal, ushered his team off the field.

Former Liverpool striker Sadio Mane stayed on the pitch and tried to encourage his Senegal team-mates to finish the game.

Following a delay of around 17 minutes, the players did eventually return.

Real Madrid forward Diaz, the tournament’s top scorer with five goals, was trusted with the penalty, but his tame ‘Panenka’ effort was caught by Senegal keeper Edouard Mendy who barely had to move, and Ndala immediately blew his whistle for full-time.

Villarreal midfielder Pape Gueye then scored the winning goal in the fourth minute of extra time to seal a second triumph in five years for the Lions.

In his post-match news conference, Morocco coach Walid Regragui said Senegal’s actions were “shameful” and do not “honour Africa”.

Fifa president Gianni Infantino strongly condemned the “ugly scenes” in a post on Instagram.

Thiaw, meanwhile, had his media briefing cancelled after a ruckus broke out in the press room.

But in an interview with BeIN Sport, he accepted that he should not have ordered his team off the field.

“We didn’t agree,” he said. “I don’t want to go over all the incidents. I apologise for the football.

“After reflecting on it I made them come back [on the pitch] – you can react in the heat of the moment. We accept the errors of the referee.

“We shouldn’t have done it but it’s done and now we present our apologies to football.”

Thiaw, 44, was initially furious with referee Ndala for disallowing a goal by Crystal Palace forward Ismaila Sarr, who had bundled home from close range.

His effort was chalked off for a foul by Abdoulaye Seck on Achraf Hakimi in the build-up.

And the penalty decision compounded those feelings. Several of the Senegal players followed Thiaw’s request to leave the field, while some of their supporters threw objects and attempted to get on the field.

Diaz, who was substituted after Gueye’s goal, was left crestfallen as Morocco missed the chance to win a first Afcon title since 1976.

After the game, Mane said: “Football is something special, the world was watching, so we have to give a good image for football.

“I think it would be crazy to not play this game because what, the referee gave a penalty and we go out of the game? I think that would be the worst thing especially in African football. I’d rather lose than this kind of thing happen to our football.

“I think it’s really bad. Football should not stop for 10 minutes but what can we do? We have to accept what we did but the good thing is that we came back and we played the game and what happened happened.”

Former Chelsea keeper Mendy, who now plays for Al-Ahli in the Saudi Pro League, insisted he was “proud” of the way Senegal – instructed by Mane – returned to the field to win their second Afcon title this decade.

“What did we say to each other? That’s between us,” said Mendy.

“We did it together and we came back together, that’s all that matters. We can be proud.”

Match-winner Gueye added: “We had a feeling of injustice. Just before the penalty we thought we should have had a goal and the referee didn’t go to VAR.

“Sadio [Mane] told us to come back on and we remobilised. Edouard [Mendy] then made the save, we stayed focused, got the goal and won the game.”

After congratulating Senegal on their Afcon triumph and celebrating Morocco as “exceptional hosts”, the rest of Infantino’s Instagram post was scathing of the scenes witnessed in the final.

He wrote it is “unacceptable to leave the field of play in this manner, and equally, violence cannot be tolerated in our sport, it is simply not right”, adding the decisions taken by the match officials must always be respected, “because anything less puts the very essence of football at risk”.

Infantino, 55, said what happened “must be condemned and never repeated”, and it is the responsibility of teams and players to set the right example.

“I reiterated that they have no place in football and I expect that the relevant disciplinary bodies at Caf will take the appropriate measures,” he added.

Meanwhile, a statement by the Confederation of African football (Caf) said it “strongly condemns any inappropriate behaviour which occurs during matches, especially those targeting the refereeing team or match organisers”.

It added: “Caf is reviewing all footage and will refer the matter to competent bodies for appropriate action to be taken against those found guilty.”

It’s an awful way for a tournament which had felt like such a great advert for African football to end.

I couldn’t believe the chaos I was witnessing from the commentary box, with some fans trying to get on to the pitch to my left and members of staff being separated down below me in the technical areas.

Then the Senegal players walking down the tunnel. It was a terrible look for the Cup of Nations.

If I look back at the past few weeks covering this event there has been a huge amount of debate – more than most years – about refereeing decisions and VAR, with accusations from some journalists and fans that hosts Morocco were getting the rub of the green from some officials.

It even got to a point where refereeing appointments for certain games were becoming a talking point on social media, which put a lot of pressure on the officials before certain games.

Senegal’s complaints about the way they’d been treated leading up to the final – including what they felt was a lack of security when they arrived in Rabat on Friday and their lack of tickets – also increased the tension going into this game.

Nobody expected the scenes we witnessed after the penalty was awarded though, and this was all in front of the Fifa president Gianni Infantino who was here to present the trophy to the winning side.

Morocco have been praised for the way they’ve organised this tournament – including from the big names like Mohamed Salah – with impressive infrastructure, stadiums and travel links.

Sadly for them though, with four years to go until they co-host the World Cup, the astonishing scenes before the Diaz penalty will probably be what will be most remembered about this tournament.

There is very little positive to say about the end of this game, but one person to come out of it well is Mane.

He was the one Senegal player who clearly did not want to walk down the tunnel and was telling his team-mates to come back out.

He also walked over to the Senegal fans after the full-time whistle, begging them to calm down.

Before Sunday’s final in Rabat, the Senegal Football Federation (FSF) expressed “serious concerns” over the security of the team.

The 2021 winners were swarmed by fans when the team bus arrived in the Moroccan capital on Friday.

In a statement on Friday, the FSF also complained about the conditions of the hotel, number of tickets allocated to supporters and the fact that they were not offered a training pitch at Morocco’s team base.

They said a “lack of adequate security” left players and staff “at risk”.

“What happened yesterday was not normal,” said Thiaw in his pre-match news conference.

“Given the number there, anything could have happened. My players could have been in danger.

“That type of thing should not happen between two brother countries.”

Former Nigeria forward Efan Ekoku criticised Thiaw and his players, insisting their temporary refusal to play was “not a good look for African football”.

“It [the penalty award] was soft,” Ekoku told E4. “It was foolish and reckless by El Hadji Malick Diouf, but the decision had been made and the players have to abide by that.

“You cannot do that [leave the pitch]. However aggrieved you feel at it you have got to let the referee and the rules [make the decision]… I have got some sympathy, but this is not a good look.”

Meanwhile, Nigeria’s 2013 winner John Obi Mikel said he could “understand the frustration” but walking off is “not what I want to see”.